The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its partners in the South
Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) strongly condemn the June 29 crackdown by
Sri Lanka’s police and security agencies, in which the offices of two web-based
news sites were raided and nine media workers arrested.
The
IFJ learns from Sri Lankan affiliates that a team of approximately 25 law
enforcement officials arrived at the shared premises of the two websites, SriLankaXNews
and SriLankaMirror, on Friday morning. All the media workers present were
detained within the locked premises for three hours and questioned by the
police, following which they were taken away to the headquarters of the Crime
Investigation Department (CID). They are yet to be released and no formal
explanation has been issued by the police authorities on the reasons for their
arrest.
Computers
and other equipment were confiscated from the premises of the news websites.
Concurrently,
the police also raided the residence of Ruwan Ferdinandez, formerly with the
SriLankaMirror and now editor-in-chief of SriLankaXNews. The latter is widely
regarded as the news website of Sri Lanka’s principal opposition, the United
National Party.
Just
the day before the raids, Sri Lanka’s government had ordered the country’s main
internet services to cut off access to five Tamil-language news websites: TamilWin,
Athirvu, Sarithan, Ponguthamil and Pathivu.
“We
note that this crackdown occurs immediately after the government ordered the
dissolution of the elected governing councils in three provinces of the country,
including the politically sensitive eastern province”, said the IFJ
Asia-Pacific.
“The
raids on independent media speak of an intent to seriously curb critical
commentary during the campaign and run-up to fresh elections in these
provinces”.
SriLankaMirror
was one of five websites blocked by the government in November 2011, following
a directive that all websites carrying news and current affairs content on the
country should be registered with the Ministry of Information.
It
was subsequently unblocked on condition that it would not provide links to any
unregistered websites.
In
May, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court declined
to hear a petition filed under the fundamental rights clauses of the
Constitution, seeking that the restraints on accessing the websites be removed.
“We
are deeply saddened that despite the return of peace and relative political
stability in Sri Lanka, the intolerance for independent media reporting and
commentary shows no signs of abating”, said the IFJ Asia-Pacific.
“We
demand the immediate release of the nine detained media workers and the removal
of all restrictions on accessing the websites that have been at the receiving
end of the government’s unwelcome attention”.
For
further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific
on +612 9333 0950
The IFJ
represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries
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